سيف

Root entry · 20 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the sword, its use, and related concepts. It extends to descriptions of things resembling a sword in shape or function, such as certain winds or plants, and also includes meanings related to the seashore and a specific type of horse.

Derived headwords

السَّيْفnoun

1.
swordboth
The well-known weapon used for striking.
2.
seashoreclassical
The coast of the sea.
3.
horse's gaitclassical
A specific gait of a horse.
4.
rough barkclassical
The rough, coarse material adhering to the base of palm fronds, resembling the sheath of a sword.
5.
place nameclassical
A proper noun referring to a specific location.

السيف الذي يضرب به معروف — The sword with which one strikes is known.

فأتينا سيف البحر أي ساحله — So we came to the seashore (lit. 'sword of the sea').

أَسْيَافnoun

1.
swordsboth
The plural of 'sayf' (sword).
2.
seashoresclassical
The plural of 'sayf' when referring to the seashore.

سُيُوفnoun

1.
swordsboth
The plural of 'sayf' (sword).

أَسِيفnoun

1.
swordsclassical
A rare plural of 'sayf' (sword), attributed to Al-Lihyani.

كأنهم أسيف بيض يمانية، ... عضب مضاربها باق بها الأثر — As if they were Yemeni white swords, ... whose striking parts are sharp and the effect remains.

اسْتَافَverb

1.
to strike each other with swordsclassical
To engage in combat by striking each other with swords.
2.
to draw swordsclassical
To draw or unsheathe swords, as interpreted by Ibn Jinni.
3.
to come to the seashoreclassical
To arrive at the seashore.
4.
to pierceclassical
To pierce or perforate something, like beads.

واستاف القوم وتسايفوا: تضاربوا بالسيوف — And the people fought and struck each other with swords: they struck each other with swords.

أساف القوم أتوا السيف — The people came to the seashore.

تَسَايَفَverb

1.
to strike each other with swordsboth
To fight by striking one another with swords.

واستاف القوم وتسايفوا: تضاربوا بالسيوف — And the people fought and struck each other with swords: they struck each other with swords.

مُسَيَّفَةnoun

1.
group of swordsclassical
A collection or group of swords.
2.
perforatedclassical
Describing something that has been perforated, like beads.

مزائد خرقاء اليدين مسيفة، ... أخب بهن المخلفان وأحفدا — Loose-handed saddlebags, perforated, ... with which the stragglers and descendants travel.

مُتَقَلِّد بالسَّيْفadjective

1.
wearing a swordclassical
One who is girded with a sword.
2.
poorclassical
A poor person.

المسيف المتقلد بالسيف — The one wearing a sword.

ومسيفا — And a poor person.

سَائِفadjective

1.
striking with a swordclassical
One who strikes with a sword.
2.
possessing a swordboth
One who has a sword.

فإذا ضرب به فهو سائف — And if he strikes with it, he is a striker (with a sword).

ورجل سائف أي ذو سيف — And a man is 'sa'if' meaning he possesses a sword.

سَافَverb

1.
to strike with a swordclassical
To strike someone with a sword.

سافه يسيفه ضربه بالسيف — He struck him with the sword.

سَيَّافnoun

1.
swordsmanboth
A person who is skilled with or deals in swords; a swordsman.

وسياف أي صاحب سيف — And 'sayyaf' meaning a sword owner.

سَيَّافَةnoun

1.
swordsmenclassical
The plural of 'sayyaf' (swordsman).

مُسَايَفَةnoun

1.
sword fightingboth
The act of fighting with swords; combat.

والمسايفة: المجالدة — And 'musaayafah': combat.

مِسْيَافadjective

1.
cutting windclassical
A wind that cuts or is sharp like a sword.

وريح مسياف: تقطع كالسيف — And a 'misyaaf' wind: it cuts like a sword.

مُسَيَّفadjective

1.
having sword-like patternsclassical
Describing something that has patterns resembling swords.

وبرد مسيف: فيه كصور السيوف — And a 'musayyaf' garment: it has images like swords on it.

سَيْفَانadjective

1.
tall and slenderboth
A person, typically a man, who is tall, slender, and lean-waisted, resembling a sword.

ورجل سيفان: طويل ممشوق كالسيف، زاد الجوهري: ضامر البطن — And a man is 'sayfan': tall and slender like a sword, Al-Jauhari added: with a lean stomach.

سَيْفَانَةnoun

1.
slender woman/girlboth
A woman or girl who is tall, slender, and graceful, like a sword.
2.
young palm shootclassical
A slender shoot or sapling, especially of a palm tree.

والأنثى سيفانة — And the female is 'sayfanah'.

وهي الشطبة كأنها نصل سيف، قال: ولا يوصف به الرجل — She is the slender shoot, like a sword's blade; he said: and it is not used to describe a man.

سَيَّفَverb

1.
to have rough barkclassical
Describing a palm tree that has rough, coarse material adhering to its base.
2.
to become roughclassical
To become covered with rough, coarse material.

وقد سيف سيفا وانساف — And it became covered with rough bark.

انْسَافَverb

1.
to become covered with rough barkclassical
To acquire the rough, coarse material at the base of palm fronds.

وقد سيف سيفا وانساف — And it became covered with rough bark.

سَائِفَةnoun

1.
sandy groundclassical
A type of ground between hard earth and pure sand.
2.
sand duneclassical
A specific type of sand dune.

والسائفة من الأرض: بين الجلد والرمل — And 'saa'ifah' of the ground: between the hard earth and the sand.

والسائفة: اسم رمل — And 'saa'ifah': the name of a sand dune.

Parallel reading

السيف: الذي يضرب به معروف، والجمع أسياف وسيوف وأسيف؛ عن اللحياني؛ وأنشد الأزهري في جمع أسيف: كأنهم أسيف بيض يمانية، ... عضب مضاربها باق بها الأثر

The sword: the one with which one strikes is known, and its plurals are asyaaf, suyuf, and aseef; from Al-Lihyani; and Al-Azhari cited in the plural of aseef: As if they were Yemeni white swords, ... whose striking parts are sharp and the effect remains.

واستاف القوم وتسايفوا: تضاربوا بالسيوف.

And the people fought and struck each other with swords: they struck each other with swords.

وقال ابن جني: استافوا تناولوا السيوف كقولك امتشنوا سيوفهم وامتخطوها

And Ibn Jinni said: 'istaafu' means they drew their swords, like you say 'imtasheetum suyufakum' (you drew your swords) and 'imtakhattooha' (you drew them out).

ألا تراهم قالوا في قول الله سبحانه: من ماء دافق، إنه بمعنى مدفوق؟

Do you not see that they said regarding the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'min maa'in daafiq' (from a gushing fluid), that it means 'madfuuq' (gushed)?

ويقال لجماعة السيوف: مسيفة، ومثله مشيخة.

And a group of swords is called 'musayyafah', and 'mushaykhah' is similar.

المسيف المتقلد بالسيف فإذا ضرب به فهو سائف، وقد سفت الرجل أسيفه.

The 'musayyaf' is one wearing a sword, and if he strikes with it, he is a 'sa'if', and you have 'safat' the man, 'aseeftuhu' (you struck him with a sword).

سافه يسيفه ضربه بالسيف.

He struck him with the sword.

ورجل سائف أي ذو سيف، وسياف أي صاحب سيف، والجمع سيافة.

And a man is 'sa'if' meaning he possesses a sword, and 'sayyaf' meaning a sword owner, and the plural is 'sayyaafah'.

والمسايفة: المجالدة.

And 'musaayafah': combat.

وريح مسياف: تقطع كالسيف؛ قال: ألا من لقبر لا تزال تهجه ... شمال، ومسياف العشي جنوب؟

And a 'misyaaf' wind: it cuts like a sword; he said: Is there anyone for a grave that you keep stirring... a north wind, and a cutting south wind in the evening?

وبرد مسيف: فيه كصور السيوف.

And a 'musayyaf' garment: it has images like swords on it.

ورجل سيفان: طويل ممشوق كالسيف، زاد الجوهري: ضامر البطن، والأنثى سيفانة.

And a man is 'sayfan': tall and slender like a sword, Al-Jauhari added: with a lean stomach, and the female is 'sayfanah'.

والسيف: ما كان ملتزقا بأصول السعف كالليف وليس به؛ قال الجوهري: هذا الحرف نقلته من كتاب من غير سماع.

And 'al-sayf': what adheres to the base of palm fronds like the fiber, but is not it; Al-Jauhari said: I نقلت this word from a book without hearing it.

ابن سيده: والسيف ما لزق بأصول السعف من خلال الليف وهو أردؤه وأخشنه وأجفاه، وقد سيف سيفا وانساف، التهذيب: وقد سيفت النخلة؛ قال الراجز يصف أذناب اللقاح: كأنما اجتث على حلابها ... نخل جؤاثى نيل من أرطابها، والسيف والليف على هدابها

Ibn Sideh: And 'al-sayf' is what adheres to the base of palm fronds from the midst of the fiber, and it is its worst, coarsest, and roughest part, and a palm tree has 'sayf' and 'insafa', Al-Tahdhib: And the palm tree has become covered with rough bark; the rajaz poet described the tails of the she-camels: As if gathered on their milking... palm trees of Ju'atha, reached from their ripe dates, and the rough bark and fiber are on their edges.

والسيف: ساحل البحر، والجمع أسياف.

And 'al-sayf': the seashore, and the plural is 'asyaaf'.

وحكى الفارسي: أساف القوم أتوا السيف، ابن الأعرابي: الموضع النقي من الماء، ومنه قيل: درهم مسيف إذا كانت له جوانب نقية من النقش.

And Al-Farisi narrated: 'asaafa' the people means they came to the seashore, Ibn Al-Arabi: the pure place of water, and from this it is said: a 'musayyaf' dirham if it has pure edges free from engraving.

وفي حديث جابر: فأتينا سيف البحر أي ساحله.

And in the hadith of Jabir: So we came to the seashore (lit. 'sword of the sea').

وأسفت الخرز أي خرمته؛ قال الراعي: مزائد خرقاء اليدين مسيفة، ... أخب بهن المخلفان وأحفدا

And 'asiftu' the beads means I perforated them; Al-Ra'i said: Loose-handed saddlebags, perforated, ... with which the stragglers and descendants travel.

والسائفة من الأرض: بين الجلد والرمل.

And 'al-saa'ifah' of the ground: between the hard earth and the sand.

والسائفة: اسم رمل.

And 'al-saa'ifah': the name of a sand dune.